Mom Awarded Fees for Appeal But Not Protective Order

Tennessee case summary on attorney’s fees. David New v. Lavinia Dumitrache et al. In 2008, the mother and father in this case were divorced in Bexar County, Texas. The Texas court’s decree included a permanent parenting plan that had been agreed to by the parties. After the divorce, the mother and child moved to Tennessee, […]

NY Husband Must Pay Wife’s Attorney Fees After Secretly Keeping Her iPad and Text Messages

Tennessee case summary on electronic evidence in divorce. Elizabeth S. Strauss v. Daniel A. Strauss The husband and wife in this New York County, New York, case were in the midst of a divorce when the husband somehow came into possession of the wife’s iPad, which contained the wife’s private text messages. He falsely told […]

Wife Entitled to Attorneys Fees After Contentious Divorce

Tennessee case summary on attorney’s fees in divorce. Audra Snapp Olinger v. Travis Jackson Olinger The wife in this Tennessee case filed for divorce in Bradley County in 2015 on the grounds of adultery and inappropriate marital conduct. After a contentious pretrial phase, the husband ultimately agreed to a stipulation acknowledging that the wife was […]

No Recovery of Attorneys Fees Unless Settlement Terms Provide for Them

Tennessee case summary on attorney’s fees in post-divorce action. Katherine Mae Pruitt v. Travis Pruitt The child in this Henry County, Tennessee, case was born in 2013, and the parents married in 2014. The father, however, was not the child’s biological parent, a fact that was undisputed. But he executed a document to place his […]

$9K / Mo. Alimony in Futuro Owed by Surgeon Overturned

At March 27, 2019
By Miles Mason
In Alimony: 25+ Years Married, Attorney's Fees
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Tennessee alimony divorce case summary after 36 years married. Richard Alan Ellis v. Donica Ann Woods Ellis The husband and wife in this Shelby County, Tennessee, case were married in 1979 and had four children. The husband was a surgeon. The wife had jobs in nursing and teaching early in the marriage, but after the […]

2018 TN Legislative Update: Child Marriage, Grandparent Visitation, Orders of Protection, Plus More

At July 30, 2018
By Miles Mason
In Attorney's Fees, Child Support, Domestic Violence, Family Law, Grandparent Rights, Marriage, News
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Immediately apparent from this 2018 legislative update is how busy the Tennessee Assembly has been with revising family law statutes. A series of Public Chapters were signed into law by Governor Haslam earlier this year. The new legislation impacts child marriage, grandparent visitation, orders of protection, parental responsibility for a child’s health insurance coverage, testimony […]

2018 New Law: Recovering Attorneys Fees in TN Child Support, Alimony & Custody Cases

At July 19, 2018
By Miles Mason
In Alimony, Attorney's Fees, Child Custody, Child Support Collection, Custody Modification, News
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When enforcing child support or alimony orders, an earlier Tennessee law disallowed recovery of reasonable attorney’s fees incurred pursuing a criminal contempt action. Attempting to hold a deadbeat accountable often left the supported spouse on the hook for his or her family law attorney’s fees. All too often, being awarded financial support is only half […]

Husband Not in Contempt for Violating Agreement, But Liable for Attorney Fees

Tennessee case summary on divorce settlement enforcement & attorney’s fees. Kathleen J. Scobey v. Todd B. Scobey The husband and wife in this Tennessee case were married in 1993 and had one child. They were divorced in 2013 after agreeing to a marital dissolution agreement that was adopted into the final decree. In 2014, the […]

Father Must Pay Attorney Fees Even Though Visitation Restored

At May 22, 2018
By Miles Mason
In Attorney's Fees, Custody Modification
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Tennessee child custody case summary on attorney’s fees after divorce. Lara C. Stancil v. Todd A. Stancil The mother and father in this case were divorced in 2008. The mother was named the primary residential parent of the two children born in 1999 and 2001. All parties eventually moved to Tennessee, and the case was registered […]

Ex In Contempt for Not Paying Attorney Fees, But Cannot be Jailed

Tennessee case summary on contempt for non-payment of attorney’s fees after divorce. Andrea Renae Hopwood v. Corey Daniel Hopwood The husband and wife in this Williamson County, Tennessee, case were divorced in 2015. The alimony award in that case was the subject of an appeal to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. While that appeal was […]